Haridwar-Barkot(1N)--Yamunotri(1N)--Barkot(1N)--Haridwar--1D
Route: Haridwar → Barkot → Yamunotri → Barkot → Haridwar
Haridwar is one of the primary areas where river Ganges emerges from the mountains & enters to the plain areas. Lush green forests and crystal clear water of river Ganges & background of mountains create the charming beauty of this holy city. In the evening ghats looks beautiful as hundreds of diyas (lamps) and marigold flowers float and light up the river Ganges. The Rajaji National Park is just 10 kms from Haridwar. Its an ideal destination for wild life and adventure lovers. "Agar apne paap dhone hai to Haridwar mein Gangaji ki dubki lagao" (If you want to purify yourselves take a holy dip in the water of river Ganges at Haridwar. All your sins will be purified). This is most common thing which you can hear about Haridwar in all over India. Haridwar contains two words Hari & Dwar. Hari means god & Dwar means gate. Haridwar means gateway to the god. There are four holy temples Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath & Badrinath on the hills also known as chardham. Haridwar is like a entry point to these chardham. People visit Haridwar before visiting these temples so the town was became famous as Haridwar. Shaivites call it Har Dwar Gateway to Lord Shiva (Kedarnath Temple) & Vaishnavites call it Hari Dwar Gateway to Lord Vishnu (Badrinath Temple) It is also said that Haridwar is blessed by the presence of all three major Gods of Hindus namely Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. Thus, with all these mythological links attached to its name, it's little wonder why Haridwar is often referred to as 'gateway to god'. Haridwar is an ancient pilgrimage site situated in the foothills of the shivalik range in Garhwal Himalayas. Haridwar is welcomes the river ganga to the plain areas. Haridwar means gurgling of river Ganges, innumerable temples, groups of monks in saffron clothes, enchanting sounds of vedic hymns & the divine holiness. Apart from religious importance Haridwar is also a centre for learning different arts & culture. Haridwar is well known as great source of Ayurvedic medicines & herbal remedies. Haridwar is now home to unique Indian tradition of teaching “Gurukula.” Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalay is providing unique teaching in Gurukul system since 1902. Haridwar is always place of interest for the researchers because it is one of the oldest living cities in India. Haridwar has numerous temples with interesting legacies. Maa Ganga after carrying the purity of heaven from the kamandal of Lord Brahma, washing the feet of Lord Vishnu and flowing through the sahastrara of Lord Shiva came on this earth and made Haridwar as it’s divine flow area. From time immemorial, Maa Ganga has been doing the duty of absorbing the heat and negativities of this earth. Besides and , It is Gateway for the four dhams of Himalayas viz. Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Haridwar is divided in several small areas such as Mayapur, Ranipur, Jwalapur, Har Ki Pauri, Motichur, Devpura, Bhupatwala, Haipur Kalan, Shivalik Nagar, & Brhampuri. Haridwar is also one of the four places where Kumbh Mela occurs after rotation of every twelve Years and Ardh Kumbh after every six years. It is said that drops of Amrit (Elixir) fell in to the Brahmkund of Har-Ki-Pauri, therefore considered that a dip in the Brahmakund. Haridwar can be visited through out the year. Shoes are not allowed in all temples. Haridwar city is spread over 12.3 sq kms. Its Altitude is 315 meter from sea level. Literacy rate in Haridwar is 73.43 percent. According to census in 2011 population of Haridwar district was 18,90,422 in which Haridwar city has 1,75,010. Hindi, Garhwali & English are the major languages in Haridwar. Non vegetarian food & alcohol is strictly not allowed in Haridwar. Auto rickshaw (Vikrams or three wheelers) are best option for visit inside in city. You can also use it on sharing basis. Cotton cloths in summer & woolen cloths in winter are best options for clothing. Avoid short cloths (such as swim suites, mini skirts) because this is holy town. Shoes are strictly not allowed in any temple, holy place or even in the river Ganges. Photography inside the temple or ashram is not allowed at many places. Haridwar is 230 km from Delhi & 25 km from Rishikesh & 110 km from Mussoorie & 55 Km from Dehradun & 110 km from Devprayag. Major excursions around Haridwar include… • Rajaji National Park (Chilla wildlife sanctuary) • Piran kaliyar Sarif • Rishikesh • Haridwar Tribal Tour(Village Tour) • Mussoorie • Devprayag Other places near Haridwar include Dehradun, Dhanaulti, Kanatal, Chamba, Chakrata, Landown, Tehri Dam, Auli, Nainital, Corbett, Ranikhet, Kausani, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Hemkund Sahib & Valley of flowers. For a comfortable journey, book a Gozo cab and tour the Golden Triangle.
Barkot is a town and a nagar palika in Uttarkashi District in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located on the banks of the Yamuna river. As of 2001 India census,[2] Barkot had a population of 16568. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Barkot has an average literacy rate of 84.5%, higher than the national average of 74%; with 93% of the males and 77% of females literate. 54% of the population is under 6 years of age
Yamunotri is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of 3,293 metres (10,804 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately 30 kilometers (19 mi) North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Uttarkashi district in the Garhwal Division of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the four sites in India's Chhota Char Dham pilgrimage. The sacred shrine of Yamunotri, source of the river Yamuna, is the westernmost shrine in the Garhwal Himalayas, perched atop a flank of Bandar Poonch Parvat. The chief attraction at Yamunotri is the temple devoted to the Goddess Yamuna and the holy thermal springs at Janki Chatti (7 km. Away). The actual source, a frozen lake of ice and glacier (Champasar Glacier) located on the Kalind Mountain at a height of 4,421 m above sea level, about 1 km further up, is not frequented generally as it is not accessible; hence the shrine has been located on the foot of the hill. The approach is extremely difficult and pilgrims therefore offer puja at the temple itself. The temple of Yamuna, on the left bank of the Yamuna, was constructed by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal. The deity is made of black marble. The Yamuna, like the Ganges, has been elevated to the status of a divine mother for the Hindus and has been held responsible for nurturing and developing the Indian civilization